reward
Americannoun
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rewards
plural
verb (used with object)
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rewards,
present (3rd person singular)
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rewarded,
past participle, past
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rewarding
present participle
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to recompense or requite (a person or animal) for service, merit, achievement, etc.
- Synonyms:
- remunerate, pay, compensate
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to make return for or requite (service, merit, etc.); recompense.
noun
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something given or received in return for a deed or service rendered
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a sum of money offered, esp for help in finding a criminal or for the return of lost or stolen property
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profit or return
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something received in return for good or evil; deserts
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psychol any pleasant event that follows a response and therefore increases the likelihood of the response recurring in the future
verb
Synonym Usage
Reward, prize, recompense imply something given in return for good. A reward is something given or done in return for good (or, more rarely, evil) received; it may refer to something abstract or concrete: a $50 reward; Virtue is its own reward. Prize refers to something concrete offered as a reward of merit, or to be contested for and given to the winner: to win a prize for an essay. A recompense is something given or done, whether as reward or punishment, for acts performed, services rendered, etc.; or it may be something given in compensation for loss or injury suffered, etc.: Renown was his principal recompense for years of hard work.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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rewardablenessnoun
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rewardernoun
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overrewardverb
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misrewardverb (used with object)
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superrewardverb (used with object)
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rewardableadjective
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rewardlessadjective
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unrewardableadjective
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unrewardedadjective
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well-rewardedadjective
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rewardablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rewardsimple
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rewardssimple
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have rewardedperfect
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has rewardedperfect
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am rewardingprogressive
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are rewardingprogressive
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is rewardingprogressive
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have been rewardingperfect progressive
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has been rewardingperfect progressive
Past
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rewardedsimple
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had rewardedperfect
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was rewardingprogressive
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were rewardingprogressive
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had been rewardingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reward
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (verb) rewarden originally, “to regard,” from Old North French rewarder “to look at,” variant of Old French reguarder; see origin at regard
Explanation
A reward is something you get for a job well done. If you study hard for that vocabulary test, an "A" might be the reward in your future. You can use reward as a verb, as when the mayor rewards a firefighter who saves a family from a terrible blaze, or as a noun, to talk about the actual payment or item that's given to the firefighter. People often offer a reward for the return of lost or stolen things, like bicycles or jewelry or dogs. Reward meant "a regarding" or "an observation" in the 1300's, but it soon came to mean "repayment for some service."
Vocabulary lists containing reward
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He added that new menu items, its reward program and social media engagement drove sales growth, while improvements in labor productivity and food efficiency boosted profitability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
This lesson serves as both warning and promise: What we reward when we elect is what grows.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
Their activity rose shortly before mice ignored signals indicating that a reward might be available.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
"Investors will reward growth and monetisation, yet they're also becoming more sensitive to how the next leg of investment is financed and what it means for existing shareholders."
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
“There’s a catch to this reward business, Papa,” I said.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Playing a game that rewards financially but could have long-term effects is a “double-edged sword,” Dotson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
Parents must weigh the risks and rewards of letting their sons and daughters play contact sports in high school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
The question isn’t whether Mr. Kirby understands the value of unequal rewards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
Skyrocketing gas prices have pushed my credit-card-savvy friend Augusta Stone to seek out gas rewards recently.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
By i860 the rewards offered for her capture totaled sixty thousand dollars.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
After an impressive start to the campaign, in which he has scored four goals in 11 matches, Neto was rewarded with a new six-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
And at the end, the Brewers rewarded their contingent with a treat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
This phenomenon stems in part from the just-world cognitive bias, the tendency to believe that the world is fundamentally fair and that good people are rewarded while bad people are punished.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
For the last several years, the market has rewarded companies when they announce a new, larger model, a larger data center, or a bigger AI-infrastructure commitment.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
She perched on the island again and rewarded herself with a few tiny dried fish and a pinch of chili powder.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
“The most rewarding thing is watching the people that come through, of all ages, from little kids to senior citizens,” said Jeffrey N. Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Most of us want to move up into more challenging and rewarding jobs over time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
"But it's also been rewarding in a certain way. Because otherwise, what else are you in the industry for?"
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
A thematic cousin, “Black Coral” by Mr. Stills, centers on how scuba diving becomes more spiritually rewarding the deeper you go.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
It has been my experience that rewarding and heartbreaking often go hand in hand.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
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